Just Another Milk Run
by finnorama
Summary: Sure, call it a routine mission, but this is the Enterprise, and nothing's ever easy! A visit to a refugee planet uncovers a dark mystery, which leads to danger for the crew, boy trouble for Carol, and a shot at love for Jim.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **

Muahahaha—I had so much fun writing this! The story's complete and runs about 10,000 words. I plan to upload a new chapter every week, tweaking as I go, depending on what you guys say in the many, MANY reviews you're going to post (…please?).

Hope you enjoy!

Don't own Star Trek; just taking it out for a joyride.

"Time to destination, Mr. Sulu?"

"We'll reach Kamali in 14 minutes, Captain."

"Any chatter, Uhura? Klingons in the neighborhood?"

"I've picked up nothing of concern, Sir."

Jim Kirk frowned. He was pacing-something he did a lot, usually out of anticipation, or concern. Today, he paced out of boredom.

Starfleet's golden boy was in for a string of long, dull days. The Enterprise was headed for Kamali-a refugee camp of sorts for children of war on a nearby planet. This was the outer edge of Federation space, and Starfleet was the colony's lifeblood. Inhabitants relied on passing fleet ships for food, supplies, medicine—most everything.

The Kamali stop was important; Jim got that. And it would be frenetic for his crew. His medical and anthropological staff would be constantly busy. Engineering would send people to troubleshoot and repair. But the Enterprise Captain wouldn't be needed on the surface at all, which meant he'd stay ship-side, and—joy of joys—tackle the mountains of paperwork he'd let accumulate for far too long.

Compared to that, Klingons sounded good. At least they'd give him something interesting to do.

Jim tread the worn path to the Captain's chair and hit the comm.

"Bones, you about ready? The landing party will be transporting in 15 minutes."

"Far be it for me to keep that pointy-eared chronometer of a first officer waiting," McCoy groused. "A day with the hobgoblin. Delightful."

Jim gave a soft laugh as Spock appeared over his shoulder.

"Doctor," the Vulcan responded. "it is of no concern to me whether you report with delight, or your typical over-emotional hand-wringing. I would be most gratified, however, if you defied your usual pattern, and appeared in the transporter room on time."

Kirk smiled. He never tired of the banter between his best friend and his first, who persisted in pretending they hated each other. "You two have fun without me."

"Yeah," McCoy added drily. "Let the good times roll."

Kirk chuckled and switched off the comm. He was about to restart his pacing routine when the bridge doors swished open to reveal Carol Marcus. _Hmmm, _he thought. _There may be something to do besides paperwork after all. _

"Captain," she nodded with a smile, lingering on Jim's face before turning her attention to Spock. "Mr. Spock. I'd like to offer my services on Kamali. Dr. McCoy would like some help with the children's physicals."

"Your assistance would be welcome, Lieutenant," Spock replied, "with the Captain's permission, of course."

"Sure, um…" As Spock moved back to the science station, Kirk stepped closer to Carol and dropped his voice to a near whisper. "You sure you want to? I mean, I'm not beaming down, and I thought we could maybe…" He shrugged. "You know…"

Carol's eyebrows shot up as her smile widened. She leaned in, inviting him to continue.

"You know…" he cocked his head suggestively.

"… finish that requisition for the science department?" she asked teasingly.

He made a sound—half laugh, half sigh—and shook his head. "No…"

"Captain, I wouldn't dream of distracting you while you're so intent on your duties," she said playfully. She brushed ever so gently against him as she passed—letting her skin whisper to his—and left the bridge.

Jim closed his eyes and let out a breath. _Damn it, _he thought. _Paperwork really sucks._

The landing party beamed down to an unkempt courtyard surrounded by rundown buildings. The largest, and perhaps most in need of a paint job, was the children's center, where the refugees lived, played, and went to school. These were children from Plutus VII, a dilithium mining planet plagued by decades of violence. Some of the children were orphans; others were smuggled out by parents who paid dearly to save their children from a life of slave labor in the mines.

Next door to the children's center was the featureless building that housed the colony's leadership. Inside, Spock and McCoy entered a cramped suite to greet the "governor," Dr. Charleston Rawles. As McCoy looked around, he wondered if Rawles gave himself the grandiose title to make up for his inauspicious workspace.

An assistant sat fidgeting at his desk, oblivious to Spock's quiet approach. _Damn Vulcan's all stealth and no sense, _McCoy thought_. _He cleared his throat to give the man a heads up.

The secretary jumped to his feet. "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, no doubt thinking the answer obvious. "I am First Officer Spock. This is Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy."

The young man looked from first officer to CMO, as if waiting for more of an explanation.

"From the Enterprise, man!" McCoy cried out. "We're here with supplies and extra hands, right on schedule!"

Rawles' assistant looked confused, and not a little frightened. "I'm afraid there's been a mistake, Sirs. The governor sent a message requesting that you beam the supplies to our warehouse. We have no need for outside expertise at present." He forced an apologetic chuckle. "Of course Governor Rawles expresses his gratitude!"

"Oh! He expressed his gratitude…" McCoy grumbled. "I knew we came 15 parsecs for some reason!"

Spock ignored him. "May I ask the present whereabouts of the governor?"

"Uh, he's left the office for the day," the secretary responded timidly.

_OK, _McCoy thought. _We moved from simple ineptitude to flat-out hiding something._

"Very well." Spock said.

"Very _well?_" McCoy repeated, incredulous.

"Indeed, Doctor."

McCoy followed Spock out to an old-fashioned stairwell, leaving behind a relieved-looking secretary. The doctor barely let the office door close behind him before letting loose on the Vulcan. "Very _well, Spock? _You know damn well we can't…_"_

"Doctor." Spock nodded toward a window showing an alley below, where a portly, balding man, the Governor of Kamali, scampered into a back door of the children's center.

On the Enterprise, bereft of his two closest comrades and his… _girlfriend? Nah. Fling? No that's not right. _He'd yet to come up with a category for Carol… Jim managed to get to his ready room and find the PADD with the most overdue requisitions. He'd barely focused on the first when Uhura's voice piped through his comm.

"Captain, the landing party is reporting a lack of cooperation on the part of the colonists. Spock thinks you may want to beam down, Sir."

Kirk looked up from the PADD, wondering why in God's name a refugee camp would obstruct regularly scheduled aid.

"Thanks, Uhura." He flipped a switch on the comm. "Kirk to landing party."

McCoy's gruff twang answered first. "It's me, Jim."

"What's going on, Bones?"

"The governor blew us off. We followed him over here to the children's center, where we're being stonewalled by another wingnut—a Kathleen Tallis. She's tellin' us to leave the supplies and go, that locals can take care of everything, medical care included."

Jim could almost hear the doctor's eyes roll. "What are there, two doctors for the whole colony?"

"One real doctor that I know of. The other guy hands out vitamins along with a bunch of voodoo 'let's talk about your mother' crap. Spock's talking to Tallis now. Charming her, I'm sure."

Jim chuckled at the sarcasm so obvious in his friend's voice, and put down the PADD. "I'll be right down, Bones," he said, without giving the discarded PADD a second thought.

Jim caught up with his best friend just inside the children's center.

"What's her name? Kathleen Travers? Travis?"

"Tallis," McCoy answered. "Nice try, hotshot."

Jim threw him an annoyed scowl and left the doctor in the lobby. Not about to let some bureaucrat get in the way of a successful mission, he followed voices—one female and heated, another male and very, very controlled—down a hallway to a closed door, and let himself in.

"Dr. Tallis? I'm Captain James Kirk." He nodded to Spock. "My officers thought it might help if I answer some of your questions directly."

"It's kind of you to come, but I have no questions, Captain." She was all business, even though Jim could clearly see finger paint and jelly stains on her shirt. If she wasn't thwarting his mission, he'd have laughed. "We do need the supplies you've brought," Tallis continued, "and we're grateful for your concern, but our colony members provide all the services we need—medical, technical—we're taken care of here." She attempted a smile, which just came off tense. "Besides, I'm sure you've got important things to do elsewhere in the galaxy."

"Ma'am, starships don't get this way very often, and we have equipment and expertise we know can be of benefit. For starters, Dr. McCoy's diagnostic…"

She cut him off. "I know all about Starfleet's 'best and brightest,' Captain. Even out here we've heard of the Enterprise and her crew. But we have no needs right now. We don't want you to waste your time."

Jim took a beat to consider the woman in front of him. Kathleen Tallis was young. She was pretty. All in all, she was familiar territory to one James T. Kirk. He broke into a potent grin. "Please, call me Jim…"

Before he could continue the three heard footsteps in the hallway and a chorus of cheerful voices yelling, "Kay-tee!"

Tallis cracked open the door. "I'm in here boys. Give me a few minutes to finish up and I'll come find you."

The boys pushed each other to be first through the office door. Like most Plutusians', their dark hair shot straight out of their scalps, as if they'd stuck their fingers in a socket. "It food time!" one said. "We are hungry!" cried another. "It's all ready. We wait just for you," pleaded the first. The third whined, "we may stapf in few minutes." Boy Number Two whispered to his friend, "_Starve_. We may _starve_ in a few minutes."

Tallis ignored the uniformed officers and answered through her smile. "The longer you talk, the longer I'll take to finish here. Go! I'll see you in the lunch room." As they turned to go, she called after them, "Wash your hands!" She smiled again as she heard them laughing down the hall.

Sidetracked by the playful exchange, Jim had momentarily forgotten he was trying to charm Kathleen Tallis. He recovered and went for what he figured would be a tender spot. "Obviously you care about the children here, Ms. Tallis. Seems to me you'd want them to have the best possible care."

Kathleen Tallis knew manipulation when she heard it. Her expression tightened, making clear she'd given Starfleet, and its precious, full-of-himself captain, enough of her time. "Captain, I may not be running a starship, but I'm a busy woman. Don't you have some planet to save?"

Jim tried to brush off her comment with a laugh. "Look, just let us get about our jobs and…"

Tallis set her mouth in a grim line. Her voice was low and formidable as she emphasized each word. "We. Don't. Need. You."

Meeting her intensity with his own, Jim growled, "My orders, Ms. Tallis, insist we check on the condition of these children and the colonists."

"Really. Your orders." Her anger erupted. "It's lovely that Starfleet is now so utterly concerned with the fate of these kids, Captain, since Starfleet is the very reason they had to flee their homes in the first place!"

A rustle sounded in the hallway, and one of the boys poked his head through the door. "You need help, Kay-tee?"

"I'm fine, Patik." Tallis motioned the boy toward the hall, instantly regretting the alarm she caused with her outburst. She pushed passed the Starfleet officers, and with a terse "Good day, Sirs," left Jim and Spock in the room- alone with their orders.

The captain and first officer stood in confused silence for a long moment.

"Well," Jim piped up. "That went well."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Hey, All –

I'm posting this a bit early because I'm on vacation and I can! Thanks to those of you who favorited, followed, or reviewed. Funny, before I started posting my own stories here, I didn't realize how much that matters… It's huge!

Don't own Star Trek. Sniff.

Like some of the most productive brainstorming sessions on the Enterprise, this one took place at the front of the bridge during alpha shift. As Spock finished describing the planet-side conversation with Kathleen Tallis, the captain paced, arms crossed, between members of the command crew.

McCoy started the first round of comments. "So it sounds like Governor Rawles pawned us off on the head of his children's center."

"It is possible," Spock responded, "that Ms. Tallis is the colony's defacto leader."

McCoy snorted. "Yeah. Rawles and his lackey weren't exactly impressive."

"What did Tallis mean those kids were smuggled out because of Starfleet?" Sulu asked.

"Eet must have to do with ze mining of dilithium on Plutus VII," Chekov offered.

"Indeed," Spock agreed. "It was not uncommon for the Federation's early dilithium contracts to destabilize mining planets. Most analyses of Plutus VII cite the discovery of raw dilithium and the resulting corruption as the main causes of its civil war. The phenomenon is similar to what happened in oil-rich regions of your Earth in the 20th and 21st centuries."

"You mean the Middle East and North Africa…" Carol added.

Jim nodded thoughtfully. "They called it the oil curse. A poor country would strike oil, and corporations would move in with hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars. But that money almost always ended up in the hands of a few corrupt strongmen and their cronies."

"And the little guy pulling the stuff out of the ground got screwed," added McCoy.

"So our friend Kathleen Tallis doesn't like Starfleet." Jim thought aloud. "She's right that those old Federation contracts were shams, but that's old news. Those contracts changed decades ago—too late for Plutus VII, maybe, but that's no reason to deny medical care to the kids she's supposedly protecting."

"'Supposedly, Jim? You think she's just pretending to act in the kids' best interests?"

"I wouldn't say that, Bones, no. She seemed to care about them. Still…" Jim stroked his chin. "…there's more going on than she's telling us."

"That doesn't take much," Bones drawled. "She's telling us less than a pig at his own barbecue."

"I think it's time we learned more about Kamali," Jim said. "Spock, set up detailed scans of the planet. See if any surprises show up. Carol, I want you in on that. Check every region with a fine-toothed comb. Uhura, let's go deeper and wider looking for news and information relating to Kamali or Plutus VII. Chekov, analyze this system's traffic patterns, starting with Stardate 2256.3. That's when the Faraday passed through here, a few visits back. There's a reason these people are acting odd, and I want to know what it is."

A chorus of "Yes, Sirs" rang out.

"Meanwhile, I'm going back down to the surface."

"Captain," Spock said. "May I remind you that we have yet to make sense of the colonists' strange reaction to our presence, which could be indicative of danger. I suggest you take a security team with you."

The captain donned his trademark smirk. "Nah… what I have in mind requires a… gentler approach."

Jim didn't see the frown on Carol's features as he bounded toward the turbolift. "You have the conn, Spock," he called over his shoulder. "I'll check in every hour until I come back." And with that, he exited the bridge, Carol's gaze following even after he was gone.

Jim beamed down to a cacaphony of delighted screeches and squeals. Over the fence of the children's center playground, Kathleen Tallis helped a tiny girl negotiate a horizontal ladder, hung like monkey bars at a jungle gym. A 20-something man and older woman were nearby, keeping careful watch over the kids near them. Above them, a course of ropes and beams soared impossibly high—fiber and wood and children criss-crossing against the green-tinted backdrop of Kamali's afternoon sky.

Scotty had left him near a clump of trees, so Jim decided to fade into the shade and watch for awhile. _Know thine enemy_, he mused, the thought breezing through his mind before he realized it was there.

Without looking away from the chubby legs flailing beneath a rung of the ladder, Kathleen Tallis called out, "I didn't take you for the kind of guy who'd hide outside a daycare center and watch, Captain."

Caught red-handed, Jim moved toward the center's gate. "Sorry. I was just… interested. That's all."

Tallis frowned, and shook her head. "Captain… you seem like a fine officer…" She broke off, her attention still on the dangling child. When she started again, she was matter-of-fact. "Truly, we have nothing more to say to each other."

"I thought maybe we could start over," Jim replied gently. "WHOA!" He vaulted over the fence to catch a boy he was sure would take a header off a high rope. The boy, however, stayed aloft, springing lightly onto an adjacent rope.

Tallis smirked. "That's Patik. He's pretty skilled with those ropes. He could probably teach you a thing or two."

"Really! I'd enjoy that." Jim stated, watching Patik, eyebrows raised.

The young woman rolled her eyes. "It wasn't an invitation, Captain." Then, beyond exasperation, she changed her mind. "You know what? Go ahead—have at it! You said your Dr. McCoy is the best in the fleet, right? You may want to put him on standby."

Half to himself, Jim quipped, "He's always on standby; believe me." Jim grasped a rope above his head, and pulled himself up. "So, Patik!" he yelled. "What's my first move?"

Patik dove to Jim's level, and caught a nearby cable. He wore an amused grin, enjoying the Captain's gamesmanship and relishing the chance to show off. Patik hoisted both legs over the rope above him and turned his body, which gave him room to swing… and swing… until the momentum launched him yet another level higher.

Jim watched, his face falling ever so slightly before he remembered to paste on a confident grin. "Gotcha, Patik."

Tallis stepped toward him in growing alarm. "Captain, you really don't…"

Before she finished the sentence, Jim's legs were flailing toward the rope above. He was able to secure it behind his knees, albeit clumsily, and he flashed an upside down grin at Tallis in triumph. "That wasn't so hard!"

In a tone usually reserved for stubborn toddlers, Tallis mollified, "Yeah, um… Nice job, Captain. How about we…"

But James Kirk was far more obstinate than the average two-year-old. He swung from his knees… higher… and higher… flew off the rope… stretched his grasp toward the rope above… and promptly slammed to the ground with a loud thud.

"Captain!" Tallis called as she ran over, eyes wide at the stupidity of Starfleet's famous genius.

Jim raised a hand, catching his breath and shaking himself off. "Fine!" he choked out. "I'm fine. Nothing to see here, people."

Kathleen Tallis laid a hand on her mouth to hide a relieved laugh. "That looked like it hurt," she said.

He pulled himself up slowly, rubbing his wrist and hugging it to his frame. "Nope!" he exclaimed painfully. "All good." After a beat, he gave Tallis a punch-drunk grin. "I guess Patik showed me, didn't he…"

Tallis gave up hiding her laugh, and with a lilt in her voice said, "I don't think you've noticed, Captain, but Plutusians have tremendous upper body strength." She smirked, enjoying Jim's comeuppance. "And they have six fingers on each hand."

Jim examined the Plutusian children dancing on the ropes above, and understanding dawned. "No shit!" he cried, then cringed at his language when he remembered he was surrounded by babies. "Would ya look at that?!" he added quietly.

Despite herself, Tallis found her smile lingering. "Let me at least get you a cold pack. The kids swear by them." She disappeared into the building, leaving Jim in the play yard with her two co-workers and a lot of kids. When she came out, Starfleet's youngest Captain was helping a Plutusian preschooler up the steps of a slide, chanting something that was making the child giggle.

Tallis moved toward Jim, still wearing a smile, and handed him the cold pack. "You're good with kids," she offered.

"Yeah, well, I was one once, so…" He looked at her and let a quiet moment pass, as he pressed the pack against his wrist. She really was pretty… beautiful, actually, even in baggy pants and a loose, jelly-stained t-shirt. He shook off the reflection, almost visibly. "Some people think I'm still one." Then, more seriously, "I'm not the enemy, Ms. Tallis."

Tallis sighed, then nodded. "Katie."

"What?"

"Call me Katie. Everyone else does. You may as well, too."

"Katie." He was making progress. _Ha! Knew it! _

"Captain, I…"

"Jim."

She paused. "What?"

"Call me Jim. That's what my friends call me."

"Oh, we're friends now, are we?" she asked good-naturedly.

"Maybe not now," he answered, "but I have a feeling we will be."

She sighed. "I don't see that happening, Captain."

He grimaced and shook his head. _Pretty short-lived progress, that was. _"Why would you say that?"

She paused, then lit up with a wicked grin. "Because _my_ friends don't suck on the ropes course!"

Jim looked stunned, then let loose a loud laugh.

Laughing herself, Katie grabbed a rope and hoisted herself into the maze of intersecting cables. At first Jim could only stare, feet frozen to the ground. Then he pulled himself up on a beam and launched himself onto a rope with much more grace than his earlier display.

"This thing is wild!" he exclaimed as he reached for the next handhold, looking at the layers of ropes and wood soaring above him. "Who built it?"

"We all did. The colonists." she called over her shoulder. He couldn't tell for sure, but she didn't seem to be breathing hard. "This is what Plutusians call a playground."

"Hey!" He puffed, trying to catch up. "You're not… (breath) Plutusian (breath). How are you (breath) doing this? (big breath)"

She stopped and settled into a corner where a beam and three ropes met. As comfortable as she seemed, it may as well have been a hammock. She let him catch up.

"I've been here a few years, remember. And I like to climb. Always have."

"Trees?"

"Trees, boulders, mountains. Anything taller than me."

She looked impish, grinning in her make-shift nest, fingers lightly wound around the ropes. Her hair was wild—abundant rust and sand and gold. Jim fought the impulse to loosen the pile of curls atop her head and set them free. A thin sheen of sweat made the cotton of her shirt cling to her chest.

He leaned against a beam and caught his breath. "Has Governor Charleston Rawles ever been up here?"

She giggled conspiratorially. "Charles prefers more ground-based activities."

"Why do I get the impression that you're the one running things on Kamali?"

Katie shrugged. "I work with kids, Captain..."

"Jim," he reminded her.

"Okay… Jim," she conceded. "Kamali is all about helping kids recover. So I guess my expertise fits this colony well."

"That doesn't tell me why Charleston Rawles calls himself governor when he's not the one in charge."

Katie gestured to the colony below. "Look around, Jim. Kamali isn't exactly a glamorous posting. We're lucky to have someone willing to come this far and deal with the bureaucracy. Charleston's actually very good at dealing with Federation red tape." When she looked back at Jim, she seemed almost shy. "But running this children's center, seeing to kids who need support—I can do that."

So, Katie Tallis cared little what title she held as long as she could put his considerable gifts to great use. Jim thought fleetingly of Spock.

Katie stretched back, looking even more relaxed, if that was possible. "Being up here," she said wistfully, "gives me access to these kids on another level, you know? I mean, I've read all the research, about how to break through, how they need to integrate all the horrors they've witnessed before they can move on. Hell, I've written some of it." She watched a boy and girl goad each other playfully. "But on the high ropes, these kids are more open and free than they ever are in our treatment rooms. It sounds silly, I guess, but something… sacred… happens up here. Sometimes."

He just watched. For some reason he wasn't aware of, he didn't want to alter the picture of Katie Tallis, eyes bright, curls floating, body leaning into the sky while she silently sought his understanding. Maybe he watched a moment too long, because she self-consciously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and, looking slightly embarrassed, lowered herself to the ground. Jim followed.

With her feet firmly on the surface, Katie gathered herself. "Captain, you can't stay here. You can't stay, and your doctor cannot examine these kids."

It was his turn, now, to be exasperated. _Two steps forward; three steps back. _"Do you have any idea how little sense that makes to me?"

"I do, yes," she nodded. "But explaining things to you is not my job. My job is giving these kids the very best chance at a decent life, and the Enterprise can't do that." Then, as an afterthought, "No offense… Jim."

He clenched his jaw as his mind spun, trying to decide how best to talk sense into her, when a gasp escaped from one of the workers behind him. He turned and saw it all… a girl, way too young to climb so high, dangled from the middle of the ropes course. Jim launched himself toward the little one, as did all the adults simultaneously—but too late. The child fell, cracking against one of the beams before she hit the ground.

"Anli!" cried Katie.

As one, Jim and Katie lunged for their comms and ran toward the small, too-still form. Katie called for a local doctor, while Jim found Bones.

"We've got a medical emergency..." While Katie commed one colonist after another in search of a medic, the telltale golden shimmer of the Enterprise transporter appeared near the trees. She let go a strangled shriek of frustration.

"Bones! Over here!"

Jim stepped away from the little girl to give McCoy access. Katie stayed crouched down beside the tiny patient, stroking and soothing, even though the child was out cold. "You're okay, Anli. It's okay."

McCoy's instruments came out one by one, as he calmly worked on the child's injuries. It wasn't long before she began to squirm and sputter, and then let loose a full-out cry.

McCoy smiled. "Good set of lungs."

"Doctor?" Katie looked at the CMO.

As McCoy turned to answer, he saw Katie watching the child, and Jim, to his surprise, watching Katie. The doctor cleared his throat. "She fractured her femur, but I've pretty well mended that. She has a concussion, too, so keep her quiet. Wake her every two hours and make sure she's lucid. If she vomits, or you have trouble waking her, comm us in sickbay right away. Got that Ms. Tallis?"

Katie nodded, letting out a deep sigh—of relief, or some other emotion.

Bones patted her shoulder. "She'll be fine. Don't worry."

Katie avoided his eyes. "Thank you, Dr. McCoy."

Jim's gaze followed Katie as she stood.

"I'll be back to check on her in the morning."

"All right, Doctor." Tallis mumbled.

McCoy packed his med kit and rose to leave. "Jim? You coming with?"

"Yeah, Bones," he breathed. He looked at Kathleen Tallis, his expression bordering on expectation, but he only said, "Ms. Tallis, we'll be in touch."

Then he turned with Bones, and left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

I finally figured out I can't use asterisks to separate scenes, because they don't appear here. See? I can be taught! Sorta. Sorry for any confusion earlier.

I don't own Star Trek. Gonna put it on my Christmas list.

* * *

><p>Back on the ship, Jim checked in with Spock, Uhura, and Chekov, and learned nothing that would explain the strange goings-on.<p>

_And those damn requisitions still aren't done. _ He resigned himself to settling into his least favorite activity—paperwork—and headed for the officer's deck.

Carol was waiting for Jim in his quarters. The lights were low. Candles flickered. She'd poured wine for both of them. _Oh, this is a much better idea, _he thought.

He took Carol in from across the room. She was tantalizing in some… _what did women call those things, anyway?_ It was shimmery—what little fabric there was. Still, he hesitated, unsure what it was that held him back. _What the hell are you thinking, Kirk? Look at her! _He shrugged off his uncertaintly and moved toward her.

"You're back," she declared, with a devilish smile.

He grinned and slipped his arms around her, caressing silky fabric and satiny skin. "Right now I have no idea why I'd ever be anywhere else. You are stunning."

He sucked in his breath.

She'd moved her hand beneath his shirt and lifted it, to plant soft, teasing kisses on his torso.

He breathed out a throaty laugh. "Carol Marcus," he murmured. He paused to let his tongue trace the hollow behiind her ear. "You…" He heard her sigh. "…are so damn fun."

"Mmm?"

He caressed the ridge along her shoulder. "On the bridge, you're cool and elegant and gorgeous..." His lips teased the side of her breast as she sighed and leaned into him. "And here…"

His hands slid along the shimmer of fabric to her hips. He cupped her against him, as she drew her leg around to bring him closer… closer. A low moan escaped him as his mouth sought hers, and…

His comm beeped.

"Jim! McCoy here."

With a dramatic sigh, Jim dropped his head against Carol's shoulder, while she threw back her head and moaned, "Oh, not again."

"Jim, you there?"

With a look of heartfelt apology, Jim released the beautiful blonde and walked over to address the comm.

"What, Bones?"

"I found something you should see."

"Um," his eyes pleaded with the ceiling, "now?"

Bones looked peeved. "Depends, Captain. Are you still running the show on this tin can or aren't you?"

Jim swallowed and nodded. "I'm on my way."

He flipped off the comm and took a long look at Carol. Softly, almost to himself, he said, "Are we f'd or what?" Then he kissed her and walked out, the doors of his quarters swishing closed behind him.

* * *

><p>"Bones! Whatcha got?"<p>

"Well, when yours truly was treating our our little patient on Kamali, I slipped in a workup."

"Meaning…"

"I took a blood sample."

"And?"

"Take a look at this." He pointed Jim toward a screen filled with data.

"Looking. Looking." Jim perused the screen. "Not seeing." Okay, maybe he was being obtuse on purpose, since he was pretty annoyed at having to forfeit his promising night. "Can ya just tell me?"

"Here, you infant. That's the reading for olominium in the blood."

Jim had no idea what the man was talking about.

"Yep. Yes it is. And…?"

"It's high, Jim. Off the charts high."

"Is that dangerous?"

"Not necessarily, no," McCoy stated. "But there's only one situation I know of that leads to olominium levels like that."

"What's that, Bones?"

"Dilithium in the food or water supply. That girl's been exposed to huge amounts of raw dilithium, Jim."

Jim was about to lose it. "Well she's from Plutus VII, Bones! Of course she's been exposed to dilithium! Her parents paid a fortune to get her _away_ from dilithium!"

"That's what I mean, genius. Inside the body, olominium breaks down in a matter of hours. Unless that little girl just got off the proverbial boat from Plutus VII—and I mean, like, this morning—she's still exposed to dilithium. Daily. On Kamali."

Jim wrapped his brain around what McCoy was saying. "There's dilithium on Kamali?"

"I'd bet my best bourbon on it."

"Then why haven't we picked it up in our scans?"

"Don't ask me, Captain. That's your hobgoblin's department."

It was late, but with the planetary scans incomplete, Jim knew where to find his first. On the bridge, next to his station, the Vulcan was clustered with three other members of the science crew. One was Carol, who'd changed back into her uniform. As Jim approached the group he caught the tail end of Spock's direction.

"… find the origination of that pulse."

Two of Spock's team moved off, while Spock and Carol turned toward their commanding officer. "Captain," Spock said, "we have discovered a perplexing anomaly on Kamali that is inhibiting our sensor scans."

"Well that answers my first question," Jim breathed, with a heavy sigh. "I'm all ears, Spock."

"Captain, your features are not substantially disproportionate."

Jim stared at Spock blankly. Carol giggled.

"Wait," blue eyes fixed on the Vulcan, "are you making fun of myears?" Jim let his eyes roam from one side of Spock's head to the other… pointy tip to pointy tip. "… of _my _ears?"

"I would not 'make fun' of ears that are aesthetically… unfinished."

Jim shook his head while Carol let out a laugh.

Taking a breath, Jim blurted out, "McCoy says there's dilithium on Kamali."

Spock's eyebrows raised, while Carol let out a quiet "Oh!"

"When he treated that little girl he picked up an element in her blood that's consistent with dilithium in the environment."

"Olominium?" both science officers asked in unison.

Jim rolled his eyes. _Science geeks._ He nodded.

Then it was Spock's turn to share what his team uncovered. "Captain, we have discovered an electronic pulse coming from the planet that disrupts our sensors. We believe it is also obfuscating data on traffic patterns. The pulse does not seem natural in origin."

Jim swallowed. "Not natural, as in someone's trying to hide dilithium from our scanners, or hide the fact their ships are passing by?"

"Both are quite possible."

"Could the colonists have created it?"

"The system appears intricate, Captain, and would require extensive technological skill. I am not aware of a colony member with that degree of training."

"And it's too expensive," Carol added. "The colonists can't possibly have the resources to create something like this."

Jim Kirk's brain often connected the dots before most people realized there were dots to connect. This time, though, given where they were, and what was at stake, the conclusion was all too clear.

"Klingons," Jim asserted. "It's a cloaking device."

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow in confirmation. "A high probability, Jim."

"Go to yellow alert, Spock. Give Scotty a heads up that we'll have to evacuate the colonists." In full command mode now, Jim called to the communications officer on duty. "Ensign Arlo! Get a message to Starfleet Command updating them there's evidence of Klingons in Kamali's neighborhood. We'll want backup."

"Yes, Sir!

"You're scanning for any and all unusual activity, especially Klingons, Mr. Arlo. Report anything noteworthy to Mr. Spock."

Carol frowned. "Where will you be?"

"I'm going back to the planet," Jim responded. He turned to Spock. "It's time to make sure the colonists know who the real enemy is."

* * *

><p>He caught up with Katie Tallis as she finished closing the children's center offices for the night.<p>

"How's our patient?"

"She seems fine. You'd never know she had a fall." She eyed the captain. "You didn't beam back down to ask me that, though."

"No." He waited a beat to continue, matching her brisk pace as she walked. "So… there's dilithium on Kamali."

Katie shrugged. "Bingo," she mouthed. As soon as McCoy stepped in this afternoon, she knew the discovery of Kamali's secret was inevitable.

"That's why you didn't let us examine anyone. You knew about the connection to olominium blood levels."

"_Everyone_ knows about the connection to olominium blood levels."

"Well, not ev… Whatever."

She looked at him, momentarily confused.

"Katie, you need our help."

"Look," she kept walking. "I get what happened this afternoon, but Kamali will NOT become another dilithium mine."

"No! Stop." He grabbed her shoulders so she'd face him. "There's more." The setting sun gave her hair and eyes a golden sparkle. He wondered why he noticed such a thing, at a time like this.

She shifted her weight and looked away, biding time like a pissed-off teenager.

He continued earnestly. "It's not just Starfleet that's hungry for dilithium. The Klingons want it too."

That got her attention. This time, though, he felt no sense of victory. Her work with the refugees was precious to her, he knew. He was about to blow it all to hell.

"Someone's devised an electronic pulse to keep our scanners from picking up dilithium. I'm guessing that wasn't a colonist."

She shook her head no, eyes serious now. "I don't know what you mean," she said.

"Given where we are, we think the Klingons designed a cloaking device to hide the dilithium and throw visiting ships off the trail." He saw her nod in understanding. "If that's true, they won't stay away for long. And when they come back, they'll take what they want. You won't be able to stop them."

She swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"

Her hair was still wild, fighting its way out of the clip that struggled around it. This time, he wanted to smooth it down—anything to calm her, to take the edge off the what he was telling her.

"You need to leave Kamali."

She let loose a mirthless laugh. "No! No way. We're doing good work here, and we're not going to stop so you and your frenemies can plow on in and fight over who gets what toys in the sandbox. No!"

"It's not like that." He kept his voice quiet, soothing.

"Not gonna happen, Prince Starfleet. Nope…"

"Katie…"

She yelled. "We were fine before you showed up!"

"You were not fine!" he yelled back. "They've been surveying! They must have been. If you stay here they'll kill you, along with Patik, and Anli, all these kids, and everyone in this colony!"

She clamped her mouth shut, eyes shining in the growing dark.

"We can't fight them and protect you at the same time." He needed her to understand that her beloved camp would soon be a battlefield. "If you're onboard the Enterprise—you, the colonists, all the kids—we can focus our power on driving the Klingons away."

She dropped her voice to a low, ominous tone. "You don't know that's who set up the pulse. You don't know whether the Klingons even know we're here," she said. "Not really."

He sighed. "We know enough."

She rubbed her hands along her face and up, into her hair. "I need to think."

"I'm not going to leave you here like this. There's no way."

He could see her trying to gather herself, hugging her arms to her chest as if to hold herself together. She didn't meet his eyes. "Please go," she whispered.

Then she turned and walked until the last of her white cotton shirt disappeared in the dark.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

And now we have Klingons! Hope y'all enjoy, and whether you do or not, please review. I notice I get pretty close to what I write, so it's hard to imagine how it's playing out there.

Quick warning: As the tension gets bigger, so do the curse words.

Nope, I still don't own Star Trek.

* * *

><p>McCoy found Jim on one of the observation decks, his head pressed against a huge portal. As the doctor approached, he could see Kamali rotating, its small colony playing a cosmic game of hide and seek with the light from its star.<p>

"Sucks to be the messenger, huh?"

Jim just watched the planet turn.

"I hear Rawles won't play either. How much time do you think we have?"

The captain shrugged. "Dunno," he said. "No chatter that communications has picked up. No incoming ships."

"Is there a chance we're wrong?" Bones asked softly.

Jim moved then, his head separating from the glass pane. "The Klingons are coming for this place, Bones. I know it." His voice sounded rough. "They'll wager it's too far out and too insignificant for us to defend. They'll show up with enough fire power and mining gear to rip this planet apart and take what they want." His forehead reconnected with the portal. "They won't give a fuck about the kids screaming on the surface."

Bones let out a sigh. "You won't let that happen."

Jim shook his head "no," by rolling his brow across the pane.

"Mandatory evacuations?" the doctor asked.

"Dawn, colony time," Jim whispered.

"You know, kid," McCoy said, "usually at this point you'd be pounding your fist and yelling about idiots who can't listen to reason."

The captain grunted in response.

"What's different this time?" Bones asked.

Jim took a deep breath. "They're good people, doing good work. Kamali's the only haven for Plutusian refugees, and if we move the colony, that work will stop… for a long while."

McCoy nodded.

"And then there's the Klingons." Jim blew out a breath. "And that war they're gonna start."

Suddenly a siren broke through the gloom, and Uhura called through the ship's comms. "Captain to the bridge. Captain Kirk, please report to the bridge."

Jim pulled out his comm as he ran. "Kirk here. What's happening."

"Ships headed this way, Captain." That was Sulu's voice.

"Klingons? How far and how many?"

"Unidentified so far but they're coming from Klingon space. Three or four. We have 16, maybe 17 minutes."

"On my way. Uhura, you and Scotty find Kathleen Tallis and organize whatever beam-out you can before those warbirds get here. Tell her to make sure everybody left on the surface takes cover."

"Aye, Captain."

Jim couldn't imagine what kind of cover would work against a small fleet of Klingon warbirds, but he hoped that, somehow, his crew would help the colonists figure that out.

* * *

><p>While Bones headed to sickbay, Spock joined his Captain enroute to the bridge. Any crewmen who took time to notice would have seen the two shoulder-to-shoulder, matching strides, as if each was born in sync with the other.<p>

"If we send shuttles before our shields go up, they can evacuate more colonists and escape from the far side of the planet." Jim was strategizing aloud.

"Agreed. I estimate we can transport approximately 18.7% of the colony before the Enterprise is within reach of Klingon weapons," Spock surmised. "If we are not unable to rendezvous with the shuttles in an expedient manner, they can take the remaining colonists to Starbase 24."

"How did we not see them coming, Spock?" Jim's jaw was tight.

"It is possible the pulse masked the Klingons' arrival while their ships were still distant, Captain," Spock posed, "much as it confused data for Mr. Chekov's traffic analysis."

The turbolift swished open to deliver the pair to the bridge.

"Mr. Sulu," Kirk commanded. "You have about 15 minutes to plot the safest shuttle course from the colony to the far side of the planet, and then on to Starbase 24." He heard Sulu acknowledge as he opened a comm to security. "Mr. Giotto, organize teams for both transporter and shuttle evacuations. Mr. Sulu is working out shuttle routes now."

Jim maintained a cool exterior, but internally fumed at himself. _How did I let this happen? I should have forced evacuations hours ago._

"Uhura, any response from Starfleet? Is there backup anywhere nearby?"

"No response from Starfleet, Sir. It's likely our message hasn't arrived yet, given our location. And I see no friendly ships within range."

_Of course._

"Transporter room reports we are receiving children, Captain." Spock's voice was even. "The first four shuttles have left the hangar."

"Three ships or four? Do we know yet?" Jim asked.

Sulu spoke up. "The pattern is still unclear, Captain, but it's looking like four. And they are definitely warbirds."

"Time?"

"12 minutes."

Spock stepped up to the captain's chair.

"So," Jim said. "We have four warbirds to fight off while we protect the shuttles and whomever's left on the colony."

"A challenging scenario, Jim," Spock said.

Jim's mind raced through possibilities. One warbird was no match for the Enterprise. Two could be defeated with sound strategy. Four were… well, they were one warbird short of the Kobayashi Maru—Starfleet's version of a no-win scenario.

_What can we use to tip the scales? Think! _

He looked around, at his crew—his family. They were devoted, trusting, at the ready. His heart swelled with pride. _Can't let them down, _he thought.

He felt the stirrings of an idea.

"Spock, where's the point of origin for the pulse?"

"Coordinates are 008-45-mark 537, Captain."

"Would you say the closer we get, the greater disruption to sensors?"

"That is an intriguing theory, and supported by preliminary observation; it is, however, just a theory." His voice became curious. "You are considering using the Klingons' cloaking device to hide the Enterprise."

Jim's jaw twitched in response.

"Captain, they must know we are here. Additionally, the warships will be able to track our trajectory toward the pulse." Spock knew that, for a man like Kirk, he was probably reiterating what the captain had already deduced.

Jim nodded, then called through the comm. "Mr. Scott!" He could hear the engineer cursing softly, surrounded by sounds of screaming children. "Scotty, I need something quick that we can jettison safely but will explode on impact with a vessel."

"A space mine… Aye, Cap'n. Tricobalt ought ta do it. I can rig one up in a jiffy." From the sound of small voices diminishing, Jim could tell Scotty was already on his way back to engineering.

"A few will be better, but you only have 10 minutes." He turned to Spock with his comm still open. "Spock, would tricobalt mines at the head of the pulse pose any danger to the colony?"

"There is a small risk, Captain. And to the Enterprise, as well."

"Less risk than a warbird's photon torpedoes, I'd wager."

"You would be correct," Spock said.

"Got that, Mr. Scott?"

"Aye, Cap'n. We'll do our bes' to concentrate the blast."

"Sulu, set a course straight for the origin of that pulse. I want these mines deposited as close to it as possible, where there's the smallest chance of detection. If we're lucky, they'll cripple a warbird before the Klingons know what hit them."

Sulu was all too happy to comply. "Course laid in, Captain."

"Once we drop the mines, position us so they're between the warbirds and the Enterprise. Let's lure the Klingons right into them."

"Captain," Spock again, "the first shuttles have arrived at the colony."

"They need to be out of there before the fireworks start, Spock."

"Indeed, Captain. I will reiterate the urgency."

Jim could feel the adrenaline in his bloodstream. He wanted to pace, twitch, hit something, yet he appeared in complete control. Discipline and training were all he'd let show in a crisis like this.

He hit the comm. "How we doing, Scotty?"

"Give me a minute!" The engineer's voice was tight with strain. "Do ye think I'm a magician, now?"

_Actually, I know you are_. "We've got four minutes, Mr. Scott."

Scotty didn't respond directly, although Jim did hear him mutter something about a "stroppy tyrant."

"Sulu, head for that pulse. Let's park ourselves as close to it as possible."

"Aye-aye, Sir."

"Kirk to transporter room and shuttles. You have three minutes to finish what evacuations you can."

"Yes, Captain."

Minutes passed with agonizing slowness; then came the comm Jim was waiting for. "Mines are all yours, Cap'n. Waitin' in the aft tubes for your order to jettison."

_Bless you, Scotty._

"Is the colony evacuated?" Jim asked.

Spock turned from his console. "Evacuation is incomplete, Captain."

Jim gave a tense shake of his head. They couldn't wait any longer. Transporters had to stop, and shuttles had to flee… now. "Shields up," he said. As he uttered the order, he knew it could be a death sentence for whomever was left on the planet.

As Sulu positioned the starship near the heart of the Klingon pulse, Uhura announced, "Captain, we're being hailed."

Jim had thought the warbirds might let their torpedoes do the talking. Instead, he was being given a chance to speak—and a little taunting could go a long way. He allowed himself a small smile. "On screen, Lieutenant."

"Human, your ship is outnumbered. Surrender your vessel."

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. To whom am I speaking?"

"This is Killang. You will not live long to enjoy the acquaintance, Captain." Killang sneered, baring filthy teeth. "Did you think we would not see you hiding in your hole?"

"Killang. You and your impudent dogs have entered our space and threatened a Federation planet. I suggest you put your tails between your legs and whimper back where you came from…" The young captain's voice took on a dangerous edge. "…before I am forced to destroy you."

Killang's laugh sounded like a bark. "It is you who are hiding from us! Cowards! Lower your shields, and prepare to be boarded."

Killang ended the transmission, and Jim flew into action. "Spock open the tubes and roll out the mines—as little disruption to surrounding space as possible. Sulu, once the mines are out, slow impulse until we're clear, then gun it. Let the Klingons think we're turning tail. We want them to chase us straight through our mine field."

"Yes, Sir."

"Once they've hit the mines, lead any surviving warships away from the planet."

"Understood, Captain."

Within seconds, the Enterprise was clear of the minefield and flying away at warp speed. As Jim predicted, the warbirds launched themselves into the Enterprise' wake, like a pack of hounds smelling blood.

Almost immediately the viewscreen lit up with the first explosion.

"How many?"

"One ship, Capt…" Spock's response was clipped by another blast. "Two warbirds have been hit. One appears disabled but still intact. The other has been destroyed."

"How close to the colony?"

"Some debris may fall through the atmosphere, but the energy from the blasts was contained to space."

Jim let out a breath. With only two warbirds left for combat, the Enterprise' odds were looking better.

Sulu looked up from his console. "Sir, we're 300,000 kilometers from Kamali."

Jim nodded. "As good a place as any for entertaining. Let's show them what we've got, Mr. Sulu."

The Enterprise dropped out of warp and turned to face the approaching warbirds. To the bridge crew's surprise, though, they found nothing but empty space.

"Where'd they go?" Kirk posed the question mostly to himself.

"The only reasonable explanation, Captain, is that the Klingons have engaged cloaking mechanisms," Spock reported.

"Well, they can't fire on us until they show themselves." Jim spoke almost to himself, as he quietly tapped on the arm of his chair. "Sulu, evasive action."

Suddenly the ship rocked violently.

"They hit us!" Sulu said. "Rammed us on the starboard side."

"What the hell?!" Jim called to Spock. "That can't be any more pleasant for them than it is for us!"

"A suicide mission, perhaps, Captain. By using their ships as battering rams, the Klingons can remain cloaked and deny the Enterprise a target."

"And disable us before we get off a shot," Jim said.

"Indeed."

"Fire at will, Sulu!" _A lucky shot would be great about now…_

The next attack came from below, a sharp hit to the belly of Jim's beloved ship. He called out as he fought to recover his breath.

"Report!"

"Hull damage to Deck 1, Captain."

Another massive blow on the port side knocked Uhura and Chekov from their seats. Jim clung to the sides of the captain's chair.

"Spock, how many shuttles do we have left?"

"Three, Captain."

This time the warbirds hit in rapid-fire succession—one to the saucer's port side, another to the starboard nacelle. The effect spun the Enterprise in space as its crew reeled from the blows.

"We cannot take many more hits like this, Captain."

"Damage!"

"Dilithium chamber number four has been damaged, Captain. Another hit and warp engines may be compromised."

Jim smacked his comm. "Scotty, kill the engines."

"What?! Are ye mad, man?! We'll be sittin' ducks!"

"Do it now! Keep power to weapons," Jim commanded, then turned to Spock. "Start manning the shuttles, Spock. Uhura, send a message to Starfleet. Say our engines our failing and we're evacuating. A skeleton crew will stay behind to give the shuttles cover."

"You hope to lure them into showing themselves," Spock reasoned.

"All I want is a clear shot, Spock."

Almost immediately, the bridge was wrapped in an eerie silence, as the Enterprise floated against the black like an empty husk. To Jim, whose heart beat to the rhythm of his ship, it felt utterly wrong. Within moments, though, the captain's bluff was rewarded. The viewscreen shimmered, and a Klingon warbird took shape, its photon torpedo tubes already glowing.

"Fire!" Jim commanded. Before the Klingon ship could let loose its torpedos or disappear again, it was engulfed in phaser fire. The ship glowed red hot and exploded into bits of debris.

"The warbird has been destroyed, Captain," Spock reported. "No sign of the remaining ship."

_Another one down, _Jim thought.

"Power us back up, Mr. Scott." Jim knew the gambit wouldn't pay off a second time. He racked his brain to figure out what his Klingon opponent would try next. He dismissed possibility after possibility, until his mind landed on one stubborn, horrible thought, and he knew.

He knew. The certainty was chilling. Jim Kirk and his crew may have won this round, but the Klingons would make them pay… by raining destruction on Kamali, and the defenseless people stranded on it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry about the delay! I wasn't crazy about my final chapters, so I rewrote them. Then I second-guessed myself, and rewrote them again. I'm still second-guessing and could still be rewriting, but screw it! Here's a chapter anyway. ****Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy. **

**I still don't own Star Trek, although that would've been a fabulous Christmas present!**

* * *

><p>Katie could hear Governor Rawles' booming voice on the far side of the abandoned colony. The man could shout it out with the best of them—a useful trait, she mused, for dealing with red-tape-wielding bureaucrats. It was helpful now, too. Rawles was calling out, trying to find two small children who'd bolted when the Enterprise evacuation teams showed up. While Charleston searched the northern edge of the colony, Katie searched to the west. A few older kids, including Patik, insisted on staying behind with the adults to help and, to Katie's dismay, missed the last shuttle off-planet. All together, two adults and six children were left stranded on Kamali, waiting for hell to break loose in the skies above them.<p>

Katie walked with an old phaser in her too-tight grip. Rawles had a weapon, too, as shoddy and unreliable as hers. "Useless," she muttered aloud to the phaser. "If Klingons show up, maybe we can use these to shoot ourselves."

"What you said?" Patik looked at her expectantly.

She shook her head. "Just talking to inanimate objects, Patik. No worries."

The boy looked lost. Katie smiled and gestured to her right. "Let's check over there where the trees get thicker."

Suddenly they heard shouts of excitement coming from Rawles' direction. They turned to see Charleston hauling his substantial girth up a rock face as one of the older kids led two little ones down.

Katie smiled. Maybe they were all in grave danger, but at least they'd be in grave danger together.

* * *

><p>"Captain!" It was Sulu's voice. "The warbird has appeared in orbit over the Kamali colony, Sir!"<p>

"Chase it down, Sulu!"

After playing dead in space, the Enterprise took agonizing seconds to reawaken. Finally, the ship came alive and sped toward the warbird, catching up just as the Klingons fired on the colony.

Spock called out from the science station. "Captain, they've activated transporters."

_Christ. _

"Fire! Disable that ship, Lieutenant!"

The words had barely left Jim's mouth before the back of the warbird erupted in flames…

"Direct hit to the engines," Spock reported.

… but Jim knew the battle had already moved to the planet's surface. Moments later, the Klingon ship, along with whatever crew remained onboard, exploded in a burst of angry light.

"Spock, any idea of how many Klingons beamed down to Kamali?"

"Given the amount of time their transporters were active, I would estimate no more than eight, Captain."

Jim nodded. "Sulu, establish orbit. Spock, get a combat-ready security team together. Carol work with Scotty to find a place to put a landing party where we won't materialize in the middle of disruptor fire." He paused, then asked in a raspy voice, "Damage to the colony?"

In answer, the bridge screen switched to a view of the planet surface. Kamali's colony—its rundown buildings, overgrown courtyard, its magnificent skyscape of beams of ropes… were blackened and smoking. For a moment, no one said a word.

"Keptin," Chekov broke the stunned silence. "Ven ve coordinated with the colonists, ve suggested anyvun who did not ewacuate take shelter in ze rocks north of town. Ze remaining colonists may be zare, Sir."

Jim gave Chekov a hopeful half smile, "Good work, Mr. Chekov. Can you scan those rocks for signs of life, Commander?"

Spock shook his head in what looked suspiciously like human frustration. "I cannot. The pulse is generating too much interference."

Jim sighed. "Well, hopefully the Klingons are having the same problem."

* * *

><p>It had taken awhile, but Katie and Charleston Rawles had six Plutusian kids hunkered down inside a circle of large boulders to the north of the colony. A narrow cut in the rock allowed a lookout to peek toward the town surreptitiously. For now, they were safe.<p>

Katie plastered on her best devil-may-care smile. "Hey, I know a game."

The children looked up at her.

"It's called, 'Have You Ever…?' Wanna play?"

The children nodded and twittered.

"We still have to whisper. No louder than my voice right now, deal?"

"Deal!" All six were full-on smiling.

"All right. If you've ever done what the person in the middle asks about, then stand up. The last person to stand becomes the new person in the middle. I'll start. Ready?"

The children nodded eagerly.

"Have you ever… talked back to an adult?"

Katie, Charleston, and the children laughed quietly and stood, one by one, except for the littlest boy who watched his friends with eyes wide. Katie gave him a teasing look. "You've never sassed a grownup, Chaco?"

Patik spoke up on Chaco's behalf. "He perfect, like me!"

The group laughed quietly and another boy took the center.

"Have you ever… bit your brother?"

A few other children giggled and stood, and the game continued until Patik found himself in the middle.

"Have you ever…" he paused and looked at Katie, "… kissed a Captain of the Starfleet?"

Katie coughed while Charleston Rawles lit up with glee. "Great question, Patik! I've been wondering the same thing!"

Katie recovered her voice quickly, although she her furious blush betrayed her. She swallowed and, without rising, quietly answered, "Nope. But I kinda wish I had."

Just then, what could only be described as Kamali's own apocalypse began. The screech of weapons fire sent the small group to the ground, children and adults covering their ears and each other. Explosions tore through the colony and shook the earth below them. Black smoke flew up in great plumes to the south.

Katie hugged two children tightly beneath her, shielding them as best she could from embers, fumes, and flying debris. They were shaking violently... _or is it me who's shaking?_

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the tirade stopped. Katie raised her head slowly to take stock of the people around her. They were huddled together in terror. The children were sobbing... but they were alive.

_Could it be over? _

Within minutes, the group heard the unmistakable sound of a transporter beam. Katie jumped up to peer through the small opening, daring to hope for rescue, but as the shimmer of light became solid, she backed away and brought up a hand to cover her open mouth.

* * *

><p>Katie and Charleston motioned for the children to sit low and tight against the perimeter of rock. The adults grabbed their phasers and whispered together.<p>

"Are they coming this way?" Charleston asked.

Katie shook her head. "They're combing through the rubble. Five or six of them that I can see. There may be more."

"If they turn toward us, you take the kids and head north. You can scramble through there…" he pointed toward a low passageway between boulders. "I'll follow."

"Patik can lead the kids," Katie argued. "You and I will fend them off here."

Charleston grumbled. "We're not leaving a 13-year-old in charge of our refugees when Klingon soldiers are hunting for them. Think, Dr. Tallis!"

Through the thin gap, Charleston and Katie watched a Klingon examine the ground and then look up in their direction.

"I'm not leaving you here, Charles," Katie whispered.

"Those kids are your responsibility, Katie," Charleston said. "And you're mine."

Katie looked back at the kids. The little ones were shivering, clustered together, terrified. Patik wore a brave face, but his expression flickered with fear.

"Besides," the governor added with a sad smile, "I've seen you handle a phaser before. I'll be safer if you go."

Katie's eyes filled. She looked down at the phaser in her fist and back up at Charleston Rawles. Then she handed the worn-out weapon to the governor. "One of the two should work," she said quietly. She gave Charleston a fierce hug, then gathered the children at the back of their circle of rocks.

* * *

><p>The Enterprise landing party materialized to the screaming sounds of disruptor and phaser fire.<p>

"Mr. Giotto, you and your men take the high ground over there. Make sure you split up and come at it from both sides." As his crew took off for the hill, Jim started moving straight for the source of the sounds—a circle of boulders about a hundred yards ahead—with Spock at his side.

As the two closed in the sounds of weapons died away, leaving only Klingon voices.

Jim's breath hitched and he doubled his pace.

A helmeted head lifted above the crown of the rocks. Jim took aim and fired; the Klingon went down. Of course, the Klingon's fall served to enrage his shipmates, not to mention give away Jim and Spock's position. As disruptor fire turned toward them, Captain and First Officer ducked behind a pile of stones.

"I believe there are seven, Captain," Spock said evenly. "If we wait for security to get into position, we will have the Klingons outgunned and outnumbered."

But Jim was just as enraged as any of the Klingons. "There are colonists out there, Spock."

"If they are within that rock circle, Jim, it is unlikely they have survived."

Jim's nostrils flared. "Cover me."

"Captain, we…"

Jim surged forward, firing as he ran, diving from boulder to boulder. He stopped behind a tall formation that looked like granite, just long enough to assess the moving Klingons' positions. Suddenly disruptor fire tore away the top of the formation and shards of rock flew toward his face. In the moment it took to throw up an arm to shield his eyes, he was a clean target.

Luckily, Spock was faster and sharper than the Klingon taking aim and shot the disruptor out of the alien's hands. A second shot knocked the Klingon out cold. Spock ran up alongside his captain. "Are you hurt?"

Jim dabbed at a cut above his eye and shook his head. "You do that very well, you know," he said flatly.

"I agree," replied the Vulcan matter-of-factly.

The two looked out toward the circle of rocks. The remaining enemy was nowhere to be seen, no doubt lurking somewhere in the rocky terrain.

Still looking for signs of Klingons, Spock said, "You think too little of your own well-being. You have much to lose and little to gain by attacking now."

Like Spock, Jim kept his eyes on the field of battle. "I have to get there, Spock. I can't explain it."

Spock turned to his commanding officer, then back to the eerily silent field. With a voice holding more compassion than Vulcans supposedly possessed, he said, "You do not have to explain it, Jim."

Jim's eyes flicked toward his friend, then back to where the Klingons were surely waiting. Moments later, the two spied a trio of Klingons stealing steadily upward, darting from rock to rock, in an effort to claim the high ground first.

"Go!" Jim ran toward them with Spock at his heels. Two of the Klingons were down before they even knew they were in trouble. With steady bursts of fire, Spock pinned the third behind a sharp spire.

As Jim and Spock found new cover, their security team appeared above and behind the third Klingon. With an expansive view of the terrain below, Giotto and his men quickly finished what their commanding officers had started. Two crewmen jumped down to cuff the pinned Klingon, while the rest of the security team dealt with stragglers, easily stunning enemy soldiers who found themselves facing the wrong way in a fight. In the end, seven Klingons—most of whom were unconscious—were beamed up to the Enterprise brig.

Jim ran to the circle of rocks as fast as his feet would carry him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

**Happy New Year, Everyone! **

**Thank you if you've fav'd, followed, or reviewed—you rock! If you're unsure about posting a review, let me push you over that edge right now. I'm all about constructive criticism and knowing your thoughts will help make me a better writer. In other words, reviews make my day, so please post! **

**One more chapter after this one, I think. Cheers!**

* * *

><p>Spock caught up with his commanding officer as Jim knelt beside the bulky form of Charleston Rawles. Kamali's governor was sprawled out in the dust, his hands and arms covered with raw burns, his jacket singed and bloody.<p>

The first officer crouched next to Jim. "Dr. McCoy is beaming down."

"He'd better hurry." Jim looked up and around at the surrounding rocks. "I'm not sure why the Klingons left our friend here alive, but he's still breathing. Barely."

Spock rose to examine the ground around them. After a few seconds he said, "The governor must have provided cover while the children tried to escape." His hand traced a blur of footprints leading toward a narrow passageway through the boulders.

"I saw," Jim responded, his hand lightly resting on the governor's shoulder. Spock saw the contact for what it was… a show of whatever meager comfort could be offered. "I tried to follow the tracks but they just… stop. It's like whoever was running away suddenly disappeared."

"There are larger tracks here, as well, Jim," Spock warned.

Jim nodded grimly. "Klingons," he breathed. "Those follow the others, then double back toward the field where we fought." He shook his head. "I don't know what that means…" He let the sentence dwindle before adding what he was no doubt thinking—that whatever it meant, it wasn't good for whoever was trying to flee.

Seconds later, Spock heard the telltale hum of the Enterprise transporter. A grumbling McCoy scrambled over the rocks and set to work on his patient with his trademark efficiency.

"Comm me when you know something, Bones," Jim muttered sadly. Then he and Spock left the ring of stones in search of survivors.

* * *

><p>Jim lost count of how many times he and members of his search party called out, hoping against hope that <em>this time <em>they'd get a response. "HELLO! CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?"

_Shout. Wait. Hear nothing back but your own echo. Check._

"WE'RE STARFLEET. YOU'RE SAFE!"

Nothing.

Searchers had split up into small groups on the outskirts of the ruined colony. Now and then, Jim could hear Giotto's or Sulu's calls carried on the wind. While they all combed the planet's surface, shipside crew questioned Kamali evacuees to find out what had happened. It wasn't long before Jim was told who was missing, exactly, and why.

"KATIE!" he called out. "PATIK!"

No answer, again, from Katie or the kids.

Their tracks had clustered at the base of a tree. Klingons had clearly followed them there, but what happened after was a mystery. There were no bodies—not even a stray hair or piece of torn fabric. A disruptor set to kill could have incinerated all signs of life, but there were no scorch marks on the tree or the ground. Jim clung to that one, hopeful fact and held it foremost in his mind.

The Klingons had eventually returned to the battlefield and were eventually thrown in the Enterprise brig. If any of the prisoners knew Katie's fate or the children's, they weren't talking.

"KATIE! It's Jim. CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

As if to mock him, his comm buzzed.

"Kirk here," he answered with a scowl.

"_Jim, I've got Rawles stabilized in sickbay. He's gonna make it, I think. It's the damnedest thing!" _

"Good work, Bones." Jim meant it, but his voice offered little enthusiasm. "You pulled him through."

"_No, no… not that. I mean his injuries! They're not from disruptors after all!" _

"What? What are they from?"

"_I'd swear that they're from his own phaser! Damned thing must've blown up in his hands." _McCoy continued._ "The burns are consistent with a misfire." _

Despite himself, Jim smirked. He could imagine bloodthirsty Klingons seeing an energy burst from Rawles' direction and feeling cheated, thinking the cowardly human had done himself in. "That misfire probably saved his life, Bones."

"_Yeah." _

Jim was glad the portly governor would survive, but the news did little to lift his spirits.

"_Any news down there, kid?" _

Jim shook his head. "Nothing yet."

"_How you holding up?" _

"I'm fine, Bones."

If he wasn't watching a tragedy unfold on Kamali, he might have laughed at the familiar exchange. "I'm fine, Bones," almost always meant Jim Kirk was operating on little more than grit and training.

McCoy's voice softened over the comm. "_You'll find her_," he said_._

The young captain swallowed and, without a word, ended the comm. In the distance, he could hear Carol calling "DR. TALLIS!" along with members of her search team. She sounded hoarse. They'd been at this awhile.

Funny, how Carol's voice wasn't the one he wanted to hear.

He thought of what a pain-in-the-ass Katie Tallis was at the start of this mission. Yet, the image he held, the specter he searched for, was a smiling beauty in a nest of ropes, hair wild, heart beating against a damp white shirt.

The thought made his chest hurt.

"KATIE!" he yelled, for the umpteenth time. "PATIK! ANYBODY OUT THERE?"

They could be hiding, scared that Klingons would find them. Still…

By nightfall, Enterprise search parties would explore everywhere worth looking. Nightfall wasn't long off. The sun was starting to set.

Their odds were dying with the light.

Jim looked back toward the colony, at the smoldering remains of the once-magical ropes and beams. His eye followed the edge of the charred play structure, to a copse of burnt-out trees. A team had searched there, but there'd been no sign of anyone.

His eye combed the line of trees until it reached the lonely trunk where the fleeing tracks had ended so abruptly.

_The tracks had ended so abruptly. _

The young captain said nothing to his team, and started walking in the direction of his gaze. One of his men called out to him, but Jim ignored it, breaking into a trot. He reached the tree where all trace of Katie and the kids vanished, and looked around.

In one direction, the thicket spanned to the children's center, which was now a field of rubble. The other way, the grove collided with a sheer rock face. Jim made a decision. He took off, weaving through the blackened tree trunks at a dead run.

When the trees thinned he combed the grove's perimeter. Twilight was turning the landscape gray. Twice he nearly tripped over fallen branches but refused to slow down.

Until he saw what he was looking for. Where the rock face met the edge of the trees, the stone was smooth and nearly vertical—an impenetrable barrier—unless…

… unless you had another way up.

They'd climbed. The damn kids had climbed, up that one lonely tree where their footprints had ended and through this burnt-out grove. They climbed until they ran out of branches, until there was nothing left to keep them skyward… and when they'd reached this sheer cliff, they'd dropped _down_ from the trees above it.

Jim hoisted himself up onto a thick branch. The singed wood splintered beneath his weight.

"KATIE!" he yelled. He could hear a search team scrambling through the grove, on its way to join him.

He tried another branch; this one held his weight. He picked his way impatiently from branch to branch, stretching for footholds, testing for sturdiness, until he came level with the top of the rock face.

He didn't wait for his crew to catch up. He hauled himself onto the rock.

On top of the cliff were more outcroppings, and he eyed them as he bounced around them, keeping an eye out for possible havens. He made out the distant sound of water and followed it—_of course, they'd need water_—to a cut between rocks.

"CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME!" he called again, voice rough from concern and overuse.

He rounded a boulder into a roofless tunnel, carved long ago by whatever mighty river had dwindled to the drip, drip, drip of water he was hearing now. He kept a guiding hand along the worn rock surface—there was very little light now and it wouldn't do to fall flat on his face. He moved steadily toward the trickle, curled around another bend, and stopped.

A patch of soft white shifted in the gloom. Jim let his eyes adjust. It was a shirt—he'd swear it—moving against the stone, catching the last glimmers of light.

As he waited for the image to take shape, he swallowed against a lump in his throat.

Katie was holding a tiny child, his shock of black hair brushing against her as she rocked him back and forth. More children were huddled against the rock.

She looked his way and froze.

Jim heard a sharp exhale; it could have been a sob. "Jim." Her eyes were shining.

"You…" he croaked, and then cleared his throat. "You all right?"

She smiled, and it reached her teary eyes.

"I'm fine, Jim," she said. Then she laughed. "We're all fine."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

**This is the last chapter. It feels like an accomplishment-my very first completed fiction! Thanks to all of you who reviewed, fav'd, followed, or just read-can't put into words how much that encouragement means.**

**Don't own Star Trek, just Katie and Patik.**

* * *

><p>Kamali's colonists and refugees would remain as guests on the Enterprise until Starfleet could comfortably, albeit temporarily, relocate them. For now, though, the Enterprise herself was docked at Starbase 24 until the worst of her hull damage was repaired.<p>

Jim sat at the desk in his quarters, finally addressing the mountain of PADDs he'd ignored for too long. He efficiently worked his way through the bureaucratic pile until he picked up a PADD that gave him a start.

It was a transfer request from Carol. He was told to expect it, but somehow, illogically, he'd hoped it would never appear.

The succinct, standard wording seemed ridiculously inadequate. After all, he'd be losing one of his finest officers, not to mention a good friend.

Well, maybe he'd lost the friend already.

Jim laid the PADD on the desk and dropped his head into his hands. He had no choice but to let her go, he knew. He felt the familiar creep of guilt as he thought about how he'd ended things with Carol. It was true that he'd never meant to hurt her. Hell, there was a time he thought he and Carol could last. He didn't plan for their relationship to change, but since when did fate ever care about the plans of one James Tiberius Kirk?

He'd miss Carol if she left the Enterprise, but not in the way she needed him to.

He let out a long breath and signed the request. When he turned back to the remaining stack of PADDs, he found he'd lost the stomach for paperwork.

* * *

><p>Jim rode the turbolift to the deck where many of the children had quarters, a basketball tucked under his arm. After the whupping he'd been handed by Patik on the ropes course, he wanted to challenge the kid to a game he exceled at.<p>

He buzzed Patik's room, musing as he waited. _Bring it, you 6-fingered ninja man-child_. But instead, when the boy greeted him at the door, he stated simply, "Patik! Rec Room 4 in 15 minutes. You know where that is?"

"Yes, Mr. Captain. I give you chance!"

"Your English is coming along, Patik. Your trash talk needs work, though."

The boy looked at Jim with amused confusion. He might not have understood exactly what the captain said, but he knew it was funny. Jim was just… funny. Why else would he make Katie so happy?

Jim flashed a grin before leaving Patik at the door. "15 minutes!" he called over his shoulder. He turned down another corridor toward Katie Tallis' guest quarters and wasted no time buzzing to announce himself.

"Come in, Jim!"

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked as he entered her room.

"It's always you." She moved toward him and slipped her arms around his waist, sneakily breathing in his scent.

"Am I getting that predictable?" He smiled, tossing the basketball onto her bed.

She looked up at him, beaming. "I prefer to think of it as trustworthy."

He took in the sight of her, curls wild, smile crinkling her lightly freckled nose. "So," he said, "the Enterprise has new orders."

"Really!" She sounded wary. The life of a starship captain was not a safe one, and new orders gave her pause.

He brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Really…" he sighed, and abruptly changed the subject. "You know, I have 15 minutes. That's enough time to…"

She stretched up to nip at his ear as she whispered, "Orders, Jim. Tell me."

_15 minutes could be enough time… _He cleared his throat, hoping it would help quell the desire building inside him. "We're going to Plutus VII. The Federation has decided it's time to renegotiate dilithium contracts and make sure everyone gets their fair share of planet's riches."

She jumped back in delight. "Really?! Are you serious? Do you know what this means?!" She all but danced as she spoke, enumerating ways this new Federation effort would help Plutusian kids… _her _kids. "We may be able to place some kids back with their families!"

Jim just listened, grinning, enjoying her breathless excitement and letting her joy wash over him. He sat on her bed and sighed with contentment.

Katie Tallis—stubborn, willful, unreasonable Katie Tallis—was perfect.

* * *

><p>Carol slid off the biobed in sickbay and wiped her eyes. She didn't dare meet McCoy's gaze. She knew she'd see compassion there, which would only weaken her resolve.<p>

"What will you do?"

"I've had an idea for a while now," she said as she sniffed back tears. "It's a new approach to terra-forming. I think it has real potential." She composed herself, the picture of false cheer. "And I can do it on a planet, rather than a starship."

McCoy nodded. "Better, I guess, considering."

Carol's laugh had no humor in it, and fresh tears filled her eyes. "Much better, I'd say."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Carol looked at the doctor's face, kind as it was, and saw the best friend of the man she loved.

"I don't know," she replied quietly. "But that's _my_ choice."

"It is," he said, "but Jim has a right to know."

Carol looked pained then forced a smile. "Thank you for everything, Leonard."

McCoy shrugged, the compassion still clear in his features.

Carol nodded her goodbye, and left. Her life on the Enterprise was a thing of the past; the present here belonged to someone else. She wished them well—Jim, and this woman who delighted him as Carol never had.

She placed a gentle hand over her abdomen, her first real acknowledgement of the life growing inside her, and realized she already knew what to do. Carol would return to her quarters, pack, and leave the Enterprise that very night.

She would keep this secret, always.

* * *

><p><strong>So... I hope you don't hate me for ending this here and going with the 'less is more' approach for Jim and Katie. Did it work, or was it just incredibly frustrating? <strong>

**I'm playing with a sequel to this story (well, in my head, anyway). Whaddya think? Either way, thanks so much for reading. I'm so glad you guys are out there! ****:) **


End file.
